Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono issued a decree cementing his 2009 commitment to reducing his country’s greenhouse gas emissions, according to a statement from the President’s office.

“This is our attempt to follow-up Bali Action Plan as agreed in the UNFCCC COP 13, while meeting Indonesia’s voluntary commitment to reduce GHG emissions by 26% or up to 41% with international support by 2020. In order to do so, we conduct national action to reduce GHG emissions”, said Cabinet Secretary Dipo Alam in a press release.

The decree establishes an “action plan” to provide guidance to ministries and local governments on how to develop and implement low carbon development activities. Given that more than two-thirds of Indonesia’s greenhouse gas emissions result from deforestation and degradation of forests and peatlands, the decree will effectively require local governments to take steps to better protect and manage natural resources.

President Yudhoyono committed to reducing Indonesia’s carbon dioxide emissions by up to 41 percent from a business-as-usual baseline by 2020 during a 2009 G20 meeting in Pittsburg, PA. Since then, Norway has pledged up to $1 billion to help Indonesia reduce deforestation and degradation, while Indonesia has announced a two-year moratorium on issuing new concessions in primary forests and peatlands.

(09/13/2011) Indonesia will establish a REDD+ agency to support the country’s efforts to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, according to a statement released by Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s office.

(07/27/2011) Indonesia’s forests were cleared at a rate of 1.5 million hectares per year between 2000 and 2009, reports a new satellite-based assessment by Forest Watch Indonesia (FWI), an NGO. Expansion of oil palm and wood-pulp plantations were the biggest drivers of deforestation, yet account for a declining share of the national economy. The study, which compared year 2000 data with 2009 Landsat images from NASA, found that Indonesia’s forest cover declined from 103.32 million hectares to 88.17 million hectares in ten years. Since 1950 Indonesia lost more than 46 percent of its forests.

(07/12/2011) Indonesia will ‘recognize, respect and protect’ the rights of traditional forest users, including indigenous people, as it works to slow deforestation, reports the Rights and Resources Initiative, a coalition of NGOs.